In many situations in life people find themselves in need of information, advice, or an opinion about a decision. After a decision is made and acted upon, many people find it satisfying to feel affirmed, and this is true regardless of the outcome. For example, if the outcome of the action is not as good as hoped, an empathetic response can be affirming. And of course if there is a successful outcome, some celebration and sympathetic joy is affirming.
One such situation is a decision to purchase goods or services that arises from a need or desire on the part of the prospective purchaser. This need or desire may arise spontaneously or it may be a result of marketing or advertising directed to a specific product or service. Another such situation is gaming. Much of the fun of gaming is anticipation of successful outcomes that result from making decisions according to the rules of the game. And this is true regardless of whether the gaming is for fun, for a fee, or based on a wager that might produce an award.
One type of familiar game is a television game show. Although there is variety from show to show, there are themes common to virtually all such shows. One common aspect is the game show host. Most hosts excel at creating hope on the part of each contestant and affirming each in a manner appropriate to the results of his or her play. Of course the host guides and directs game play but generating hope and affirming player actions is an equally significant role for the host.
In gaming, especially where wagering is involved, and in purchasing goods and services, most people left to their own feel that they are in a somewhat adversarial role with the casino or seller, respectively. Most people who wager understand that the house has to take a cut of the total of all amounts wagered to stay in business and that the games are designed to generate that casino profit. In short, over time and on average, the players win less than they wager.
In connection with the purchase of goods or services, some sellers are more quality conscious or more ethical than others. This creates a market where some ostensibly equivalent purchases have more value than others. As a result, a consumer cast into a market without advice or knowledge may be apprehensive.
Some sellers of goods and services provide additional information beyond urging a consumer to make a purchase. For example some online sellers track prior purchases of the consumer and make suggestions based on that history. Others track online activity and serve ads based on websites visited.
In contrast to providing information based a consumer's history, information may be provided concerning the environment in which the consumer is operating to assist him or her in making decisions. For example, it is known in gaming to provide information to players about specific machines that are paying jackpots either above or below par, which is the theoretical hold percentage set by the game's pay table. As is known, an electronic gaming device, such as a slot machine, is typically set to pay a percentage of all wagers made as jackpots. A typical such percentage may be around, e.g., 92%. This leaves the casino, on average and over time, with 8% of the wagers on that machine. But since the outcomes are all random, there can be random variations in either direction from the set percentage. As a result, some machines are temporarily “hot,” i.e., paying more jackpots than par and others are temporarily “cold,” i.e., paying fewer jackpots than par.
Many players have a preference for either a hot or a cold machine. If a machine is hot, he or she wants to take advantage and get their share. And some prefer a cold machine, the thinking being that it is overdue for a jackpot. Of course each outcome is random, but many players are superstitious, and casinos are happy to cater to them within the confines of gaming regulations. There is prior art in which a map of the casino floor shows hot and cold machines via color codes, enabling a player to find a machine that is currently in the condition preferred by the player.
Both the online sellers and advertisers, on the one hand, and the casino that generates a map of hot and cold machines, on the other hand, are providing additional data that can be helpful in making a decision. In the online instance, the data is based on historical information about the person who is making the decision; in the casino, the data is based on historical information about the environment in which the person must decide. While the additional information is helpful, there may not be someone there from whom the consumer can solicit advice or opinions or who will provide affirmation after the decision is made.
What is needed in these situations is a trusted advisor. Sometimes people turn to a friend for advice and support when making these kinds of decisions. A trusted personal friend is about the best advisor to be had. That person knows and understands the person making the decision, how the ramifications of various outcomes might affect the person, and what values the person holds that might influence the decision. A recommendation from such a trusted friend inspires confidence and hope. And regardless of the outcome that flows from the decision, nothing can match the presence of a close friend to provide affirmation, either celebratory when the outcome is good or empathetic and supportive when it is not.
It is possible to create hope and affirmation in circumstances similar to these utilizing a virtual persona. Such a persona may draw on historical information, either about the decision maker, the environment in which the decision maker operates, or both. The persona can inspire trust and confidence in a variety of ways, e.g., displaying the outcomes of past recommendations. In the case of several personae who advise about the same issue, such displayed results can produce competition for the allegiance of the decision maker based on the respective results of the personae. In addition, a persona can monitor outcomes and respond accordingly, either with celebration or with empathy.
What is more, a decision maker can be drawn into the “life” of the personae using computer technologies for analyzing text or other communications generated by the decision maker and responding accordingly. Beyond generation of trust, interest by the decision maker can be built by generating a story about the persona and, in the case of multiple personae, interactions among them. In these ways, a relationship with virtual personae can be built. The decision maker can come to know and appreciate the persona as a source of entertainment, information, hope, and affirmation. In such cases, the persona may be able to exert substantial influence on the acts of a person.
In one aspect, novel information regarding the hot and cold machines is communicated to the player other than through a virtual persona, but this information may also be communicated via a virtual persona with the accompanying benefits outlined above.